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Linen Botanical Drawing

Linen

 

Finally, I’ve managed to wish it up…a real, live heat wave! I couldn’t be happier; I’m really only comfortable about 6 days out of the year…today’s perfect! 

My Maisie SweaterHot or cold, I’ve been a little preoccupied with linen lately. Today’s incarnation makes three for my linen pullover. I took some inspiration from this beautiful sweater from “Coastal Knits” (below is the Bayside Pullover by Hannah Fettig). Mine has a little motif that looks like corn or wheat. Really, I’m just working on the fit now. I’m using Quince & Co. Sparrow, which I love, but I’m hoping to make another in wool or a wool blend just to prove it can (and should!) be done.

Bayside Pullover by Hannah Fettig

Any idea how linen yarns for knitting and weaving are made? I was amazed at how labor intensive it is to extract the silky fibre. Linen is a bast fibre, which means the long, sinewy strands are wrapped around a sort of straw and encased in a stalk. Linen fibre comes from the area labelled ‘BF’ below. Cross Section, Linen Stalk

Once the plants, whose carefully broadcast seeds are neither too close nor too far apart, have reached maturity, the entire plant is uprooted, bundled and placed to dry in the sun. Once dry, they are threshed to remove the seeds. Next, the retting, or ‘rotting’ process takes place during which the dry, outer stalk is removed by soaking in open baths or rotting in dew in the fields. Either way, I gather it’s a pretty stinky proposition.

Flax plants drying in Sweden
Flax plants drying in Sweden

  The softened stalks are then dried and cured before they are broken and scutching knives are employed to remove remaining woody bits.

Linen Fibre

The silky fibre is then combed or heckled using a bed of nails which separates the fibers into long strands that can be spun. Can you imagine? Who was the first guy to say, “Um, yeah, I bet there’s some cool stuff inside that plant stalk…think I’ll work my butt off to get it outa there!” Thank goodness he did…look at this…I’ll sure never complain again about the cost!

Soft Linen Feather and Fan by Pam Allen

…and this…

Soft Linen Single Gore Skirt by Gudrun Johnston

…and this!

Linen Tunic by Purl Soho

 

August 12, 2015

5 Comments

  1. Reply

    Andrea @ This Knitted Life

    July 31, 2015

    That skirt it too cool. I love…although I don’t think it would look as flattering on my figure. Amazing nonetheless. I am knitting with linen now. I probably won’t repeat. It’s just not soft enough. Maybe a linen blend next time…

  2. Reply

    Tina

    July 29, 2015

    I love linen and it’s my new found favorite, my stash can vouch for that 🙂 Wonderful article!

    • Reply

      Little Church Knits

      August 1, 2015

      Me too! 😉

  3. Reply

    gladeridercrafts

    July 29, 2015

    Gorgeous stuff! I love that cabled top, I may make one for myself in something a little more suited for cold weather!

    • Reply

      Little Church Knits

      July 29, 2015

      Isn’ t it gorgeous?! It says in the book that the pattern is perfectly suitable for wool, too!

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Compulsive knitter, designer, dog-o-phile and re-placed New Orleanian; lover of succulent plants, wine and sand between my toes.

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